


A Beginning

by Narcissisticpeacock



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Flirting, commission, hints at Chloe/Elena
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-06-30 07:09:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19848118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Narcissisticpeacock/pseuds/Narcissisticpeacock
Summary: Nate needs some help. And Chloe doesn't like being interrupted, but at least seeing a certain blonde makes things better.





	A Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This is a commission for Allons-y-dang-it on tumblr, for the beginning of a game where Chloe has to save Nate and she and Elena aren't exactly on the same side. I had to twist it a little to make it fit the word count, but here it is!

“Really, Chloe? Again?”

Chloe freezes for the smallest moment. As she turns, she dons her most charismatic grin. “Sunshine! Fancy meeting you here.”

"I'm here for an article. But I get the feeling I'll have to take pictures fast if I want this place to, y'know, be in one piece," Elena gripes.

With a chuckle, Chloe shrugs. "I don't destroy  _ everything _ I touch. Promise. You just always seem to be around when things go poorly."

Elena raises an eyebrow with arms crossed. "Should I start listing the places I know you had a hand in?"

Chloe likes Elena. She does. They just always seem to end up on opposite sides. Not “shoot at each other” opposite, just Chloe tends to be destructive in places Elena wants to photograph. She doesn’t ever mean to be. Things just… happen.

With a roll of her eyes, Chloe frowns. "Enough of that. I'm not even here for treasure. I promise." She gives Elena a quick look over. "Even if treasure seems to have found me."

A pretty little blush springs to Elena's cheeks. She still looks at Chloe in disbelief. "Really?"

“Really about the flirting, or really about not being here for treasure?” Elena gives her a look. Treasure. Right. "Really! You know that thing where you date someone and leave them and then they call you half a year later because they're stuck in the tunnels under a castle and their ankle is hurt so they can't get out?"

Elena sighs. "Nate is here?"

"Beauty and brains! Yeah. I was the closest one to here, so I've gotta grab him." 

"And how much if this place has he destroyed?"

Chloe snorts. "No idea, love. I'm not part of his treasure hunt this time round. My own business is put on hold because he couldn't handle himself."

Seeming less than thrilled, Elena purses her lips. "Where is he?"

A shrug. "Somewhere in the tunnels under this place. His phone is either dead or off."

Elena seems to think over. After a long moment, she sighs again. “Alright. Where are we going?”

A blink. “You’re joining me?”

"It's that or watch more of this place crumble."

Chloe supposes it could be worse. Much worse. She's never known Elena to double cross or the like. And if they're both on the hunt for Nate then maybe this whole ordeal can be finished sooner rather than later. The faster it’s done, the faster she can get to her own hunt.

“Well, alright then.”

* * *

“So wait, you jumped off the cliff? From that height?”

Chloe chuckles. “It’s nothing, Sunshine. The heights I’ve fallen from, I shouldn’t be alive, and yet I’m still here.”

Elena looks amused but the slightest bit worried. “You really should be more careful, Chloe.”

“Eh. Where’s the fun in that?”

Elena rolls her eyes, but follows Chloe into the darker corridor they’ve found.

The castle is practically baking inside. It’s hot and both women are sweating, but it’s better now that they’re out of the sun. The farther they go, the darker it gets. Chloe pulls out her flashlight.

Her gaze follows what she can see of the path before shining the light on the walls. There’s no trace of anything but the stones that built it. “Stick close. Nate said a lot of this area was falling in.”

“You? Being careful? I’m sorry, I thought I was here with my friend Chloe. She would never be careful.”

Chloe glances back at Elena. “Oh, we’re  _ friends _ ? And here I thought you hated me.” Her tone is jovial; she’s obviously joking.

Elena snorts. “I like you, Chloe. I just can’t stand the damage you do to ruins.”

“I don’t  _ mean  _ to, you know.” She shoots Elena a wink. “I happen to like you too, Sunshine.” She continues on. “Rarely ever get to work with women. A shame really, because men are a headache.”

“I know that’s the truth.”

Chloe shines her flashlight on the ceiling. It’s cracked and in the process of decay, but no light reaches from the outside. “I wonder if--”

“Chloe!”

Before Chloe can stop herself, she’s going over the edge of a hole in the floor. Elena grabs her arm and yanks her back, only just stopping her from taking the fall.

Chloe gets the wind knocked out of her as she stumbles backwards a bit. “Shit. Thanks.” She takes a deep breath and looks down the hole. “This is recent. Drake tracks, maybe?” It’s about six meters down to a stone floor.

“Seems likely.”

“Well, you know what that means.”

Chloe gives Elena a grin and, without hesitating, jumps down.

Elena grits her teeth. “Really? Chloe, I  _ just _ stopped that from happening!”

Chloe laughs up from down below. “Come on down, Sunshine. Just make sure to roll a bit as you hit the ground-- you’ll be fine.”

Elena joins her, but she’s certainly annoyed. “Next time, I’m gonna let you fall.”

“Like I believe that. You're too good, Sunshine. I know it's just who you are to help someone."

Elena seems to turn a bit red, as though Chloe's found the  _ real _ way to compliment her, something past how pretty she is. Chloe makes note of it. She’ll be making proper use of that knowledge later.

“Hello?” comes a muffled yell from down the passage, cutting into Chloe's thoughts.

Chloe sighs. “Nathan?” she calls back.

“Chloe?”

Pursing her lips, she looks to her friend. “Well, Elena, let’s see what he’s gotten himself into now.”

* * *

“Easy, Nate. You’ll give yourself a stomach ache.”

Nate is busy chugging the water bottle Elena has passed him. The three of them are sat outside the castle in the sun. Nate is looking a bit worse for wear; a little scratched up along with the new bandage on his ankle.

A stone. That's all that had trapped him. A stone of maybe ten kilograms, at most, had fallen onto one of the balances of the door Nate had passed through. That was it. He had been trapped by one rock no bigger than his head.

Chloe had stopped her own hunt because he’d been trapped  _ by a rock. _

A quick climb and a shove later, Nate had been freed.

His new-found freedom has not lessened the irritation on Chloe's end. She's just shy of pissed.

“Is there even a reason you were here, Nathan? What could possibly be hidden here that warrants it?”

“Jewelry,” he says between gulps of water. “Like, covered in gems sort of jewelry. Expensive, covers the cost of living for a year, sort of jewelry."

Chloe purses her lips, frowning. “Bring a partner next time. I thought you and Charlie were working together. Last I heard, at least."

Nate shrugs. “He’s visiting his mom. I can't ask him away from that... Any chance you wanna get in on it? I could use someone with a working ankle.” He looks up at her, hopeful.

She looks at his freshly bandaged ankle. “Hm. Nah. I’ve got my own search at the moment.”

He frowns. “Need help on it?”

That’s something to consider, as she doesn’t have anyone to work with at the moment, but it’s a quick decision. “Uh-uh. You are  _ not _ on my good side right now, mate." She glances away from him. "Now,  _ Elena _ , on the other hand…”

Elena looks up from where she’s flicking through the footage she has. She had been studiously ignoring Nate; Chloe would bet she’s angry with him for destroying a chunk of the castle.

She raises an eyebrow at Chloe. “You want  _ me _ to help you treasure hunt?” It’s a genuine surprise in her voice rather than any sort of unwillingness.

Chloe shrugs. “Why not? I trust you to watch my back. And if you join me, you can make sure I don’t destroy any ancient history… win-win. I'll even let you have a cut of the profit.”

Elena considers it for a moment. Chloe expects her to say no; it had been half a joke to suggest it. But then she says something Chloe just didn’t expect.

“You know what? Yeah. I'll partner up with you."

A grin breaks across Chloe's face. "Wonderful! How's your Russian?"

Elena shrugs but mirrors the grin. "Probably better than yours."

"I don't doubt it. I happen to know you're pretty smart." She winks and then turns to Nate. "Let's get you out of here so you can wait for Charlie before you do this again."

Nate looks utterly defeated. Chloe sort of enjoys how much her choosing Elena has messed with him. She helps him up, letting him lean on her shoulder. Elena grabs her camera and the water bottle Nate had left behind before following.

"So, Sunshine, once we drop him off, I can give you a ride back to my hotel. We have to get planning, don't we?"

Elena just laughs.


End file.
